Green makeover for low carbon winners

Twelve communities from across the UK are today celebrating after winning up to £500,000 each to help install new green technologies such as solar panels, hydro turbines and energy saving insulation.

The grant money, awarded through the Government’s Low Carbon Community Challenge, will be spent on a range of green measures which will cut carbon, save money on energy bills, and could even see some communities make cash from generating their own energy – thanks to the Government’s new clean energy scheme.

Energy and Climate Change Minister Joan Ruddock said:

“The huge enthusiasm for the Low Carbon Communities Challenge demonstrates that local people are passionate about building a low carbon future in the UK. Today’s winners will act as a test bed for green action, and show us all what a greener future looks like.

“This sort of action is vital because over a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions come from heating, lighting and powering electrical appliances in our homes. By 2050 this needs to be almost zero and we can only achieve that through the creative initiative of local communities.”

In total, 22 communities will benefit from the £10million Low Carbon Community Challenge grant fund. The aim of the fund is to inform government of what works at a community level to cut emissions. The first ten winners were announced on 21st December last year.

Today’s 12 winning communities are:

England
Hook Norton, near Banbury, Oxfordshire: The 2500-strong community has been working on reducing its carbon footprint for a number of years. It will spend the money on installing a heat recovery system, solar panels, two community electric pool cars and a ground source heat pump at the local primary school (Hook Norton Church of England Primary School); provide interest free loans for a whole-house retro-fit of six homes; on top of this, it will insulate 40 homes and install solar thermal panels on a further 20; put a bio-diesel tank in the local brewery (Hook Norton Brewery) to supply bio-diesel fuel for the vehicles of 50 households. All these activities will provide income back in to a rolling low carbon fund so that the community can continue to take action for the next 10 years.

Ashton Hayes, near Chester, Cheshire: Since 2005, Ashton Hayes has been working to become England’s first carbon neutral community and has already cut average household emissions of the 370 homes by 23% since May 2006. It will spend the money on a various renewable generation technologies which will power part of the community. This includes a renewable energy CHP plant and solar panel focused on the school. This will link with measures to encourage energy efficiency via real time displays and demand side management.

Easterside in Middlesbrough, a mixed tenure estate of 3250 people, is among the top 20% of disadvantaged areas in England. The LCCC funded Eco-Easterside project will save residents money on household bills by reducing energy use. Two wind turbines will be installed in the grounds of Easterside and St Thomas More primary schools, which will in turn generate income for the community from the government’s clean energy cashback scheme. 600 homes will be fitted with energy monitors, and householders will be helped to make sure their homes have adequate insulation. Renewable energy systems – solar hot water and air-source heat pumps – will be fitted to 20 homes. Residents will also be encouraged to reduce carbon emissions by using sustainable modes of transport and growing more of their own food.

Halton, near Lancaster: Halton is looking to install a hydro turbine into the River Lune, and three solar roofs; and incorporate carbon saving measures in the renovation of Halton Mill, which will provide office and workshop space for local businesses. The profits, generated from the Government’s clean energy cashback scheme, and from rents, will be ploughed back into further carbon reduction projects such as Halton Energy Network which will help households reduce their domestic carbon emissions.

Exmoor National Park in Somerset and Devon: The LCCC funding will be used to help fund renewable energy projects such as wood pellet heating and solar installations in six communities that have been participating in community sustainable energy planning. One of those communities (Lynton and Lynmouth) is planning to install a community owned hydropower turbine that will generate an income for the community and the fund will help in raising awareness of the scheme amongst potential investors.

Whitehill-Bordon in East Hampshire: Aims to build on it’s Eco town status by making the money available for people in the form of loans. Residents who take advantage of this will be able to install energy efficiency measures and renewable technologies, to save energy and save money.

Ladock and Grampound Road in mid-Cornwall plan to upgrade homes, schools, community halls and businesses with a combination of energy efficiency measures and microgeneration technology. They will monitor their progress through smart meters to assess the impacts of behaviour change and renewable energy technologies among project participants and the wider community. Any income from clean energy will be fed back into a community fund for further low carbon investment. The project will also see the plantation of a nut grove carbon sequestration project and the installation of an electric vehicle charging point.

Northern Ireland

Ballymena: Intends to build a district heating network based on deep geothermal, biomass and residual heat technologies. This will benefit public buildings, social housing as well as private residences and will reduce fossil fuel use and fuel poverty.

Camphill Community Glencraig: Plans to install a biomass district heating system using locally sourced wood. This will help to reduce bills and dependence on fossil fuels.

Wales

Cwmclydach, nr Pontypridd, South Wales: Blaenclydach is a former mining village and is one of the most deprived areas in Wales. The money from LCCC will help pay for two small hydro turbines in the nearby Cambrian Country Park which will power two community buildings and, under the government’s Clean Energy Cashback scheme, will generate an income for the community.

Awel Aman Tawe Community Wind Farm in Upper Amman and Swansea Valley, South Wales: Fuel poverty is a major concern for the 13,500 people living in the 12 villages spread across Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Powys. Planning consent has been secured to put two wind turbines with a capacity of 4MW on the Mynydd y Gwrhyd mountain, so the LCCC money will help towards the costs. This will generate enough electricity to supply the annual needs of about 2000 homes and generate an income for the community as a whole through the Government’s clean energy cashback scheme. The community also has plans to open a zero carbon cafe, allotments and a biodiesel pump in the headquarters car park which can be used by members of the public.

Glogue, Hermon and Llanfyrnach, nr Preselli Hills, Pembrokeshire: The LCCC money will be used to fund two wind turbines which are calculated to generate around £300,000 per year to be ploughed back into further energy saving projects.

Cash rewards for low carbon electricity and heating

Households and communities who install generating technologies such as small wind turbines and solar panels will from April be entitled to claim payments for the low carbon electricity they produce.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband today announced the feed-in tariff (FITs) levels and also published a blueprint for a similar scheme to be introduced in April 2011 to incentivise low carbon heating technologies. The renewable heat incentive (RHI) will be a world first.

The schemes are designed to bring about a significant increase in the amount of locally produced green energy, as a contribution to the wider shift of the energy mix to low carbon.

Ed Miliband said:

"The guarantee of getting an income on top of saving on energy bills will be an incentive to householders and communities wanting to make the move to low carbon living.

"The feed-in tariff will change the way householders and communities think about their future energy needs, making the payback for investment far shorter than in the past.

"It will also change the outlook for a range of industries, in particular those in the business of producing and installing small scale low carbon technology."

From 1 April householders and communities who install low carbon electricity technology such as solar photovoltaic (pv) panels and wind turbines up to 5 megawatts will be paid for the electricity they generate, even if they use it themselves. The level of payment depends on the technology and is linked to inflation.

They will get a further payment for any electricity they feed into the grid. These payments will be in addition to benefiting from reduced bills as they reduce the need to buy electricity. The scheme will also apply to installations commissioned since July 2008 when the policy was announced.

A typical 2.5kW well sited solar pv installation could offer a homeowner a reward of up to £900 and save them £140 a year on their electricity bill.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change also published today plans for a scheme to incentivise renewable heat generation at all scales. This will come into effect in April 2011 and guarantee payments for those who install technologies such as ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and air source heat pumps.

Under the proposed tariffs the installation of a ground source heat pump in an average semi-detached house with adequate insulation levels could be rewarded with £1,000 a year and lead to savings of £200 per year if used instead of heating oil.

The heat incentive could help thousands of consumers who are off the gas network lower their fuel bills and gain a cash reward for greening their heating supply.

Details of funding for the scheme will be published in the Budget 2010.

Nine Local Authorities chosen for "Green" pilot programmes

Communities Secretary John Denham today announced nine pioneering local authorities that will work with Government to develop an ambitious programme of action to tackle climate change.

Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Oxford, Northumberland, Haringey, Nottingham, Plymouth and Bournemouth Poole and Dorset MAA will work with Government over the coming twelve months to pioneer and test new local carbon frameworks.

By working more closely with energy suppliers to develop ambitious plans for 'greening' up domestic and non-domestic properties, increasing the demand for renewable energy, considering how to increase the economic viability of new energy sources, boosting links to heat and energy schemes and make more effective use of surplus energy to power homes could potentially unlock new sources of income for local authorities.

John Denham is proposing that local carbon frameworks will involve councils:

• setting out a clear set of targets for action and a route for progress and milestones. Many of the councils involved have already set themselves stretching targets to reduce carbon emissions - 40 per cent reductions and higher by 2020. The frameworks will support ambitions for going even further, faster
• developing a clear strategy for how carbon reductions can be achieved. Robust and strongly evidence based; this strategy will need to articulate how the council will secure community buy in and involvement
• producing a delivery plan involving all its partners, including those outside the formal strategic partnership.

John Denham said:

"Green groups have long campaigned on the Think Global, Act Local slogan knowing that it is action taken in homes, in villages, towns and cities that will really deliver the change and the groundswell of support to make the difference on carbon emissions.

"Local authorities - through their oversight of housing, planning, waste, transport coupled with the significant spending power they possess - are uniquely positioned to use their role and influence to drive and shape a low carbon economy, low carbon living and influence the kind of behaviour change that will be needed to meet the UK commitment to the 34 percent cut in emissions on 1990 levels by 2020"

The nine councils involved in developing the framework have already indicated where they intend to take action.

Bristol is part of the Low Carbon Core Cities programme and has set a very ambitious carbon reduction target of 40 per cent by 2020. It is producing a new action plan for 2010/11 as part of its Green Capital programme - reducing emissions and improving energy security. This includes establishing an ESCO and District Heating programme, building strong carbon partnerships with the commercial sector and doubling the level of cycling in the city.

Manchester has signed up to reduce emissions by 40 per cent by 2020. The City Council published a comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan in November setting out plans and for organisations and individuals to tackle climate change across the range of issues: energy, waste, transport, homes and business. More widely, the Manchester city region has committed to be a Low Carbon Economic Area (announced last December), with a particular focus on the built environment and skills agendas.

Leeds City region has been developing an ambitious 'urban eco-settlement' programme, aiming to deliver 28,000 homes at least at Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, and at Eco-Towns PPS standards in 4 main regeneration areas. LCR is also aiming to deliver a Domestic Energy Efficiency Programme jointly across the sub-region. This is intended to be similar to the leading Kirklees home insulation scheme - aiming at 300,000 homes insulated by 2015.

Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset have a multi area agreement with a strong environmental theme and a strong emphasis on Green Knowledge Economy, linked to domestic energy programmes, district heating, and partnership building across the areas. The area is home to a number of energy firsts including the first Marks and Spencer eco-store and the internationally renowned Poundbury Development of the Duchy of Cornwall.

Nottingham is in the process of developing a new sustainability strategy. It has been active on a range of fronts, but in particular through the Tram, and the Nottingham Energy Partnership's consideration of waste to heat provision. They were awarded a CAA Green Flag recently, in respect of Waste and Transport. Nottingham also hosts a recent Low carbon communities challenge winner, the Meadows Ozone Energy Services Company.

Plymouth is focussing its attention on the impact on businesses and a low carbon economy and the impact on vulnerable communities.

Oxford has set itself an ambitious carbon reduction target - equivalent to about 50 per cent by 2020. Oxford's carbon management plan has been developed with the keen support from the administration and senior management. Oxford won the Carbon Trust Innovation Award for the Public Sector. They are the first England and Wales LA to sign a land lease agreement for a large wind turbine, with PfR. The active LSP have climate change as one of their priorities. The Oxford is My World Initiative helps local people, businesses and community group to reduce carbon. Oxford is home to a highly ambitious Low Carbon Communities Challenge winner - Low Carbon West Oxford.

Northumberland has signed the European Covenant of Mayors and through this is developing a sustainable energy action plan which sets how the council will achieve a county wide carbon reduction target of 20 per cent by 2020. As well as this, the council has signed up to the Local Authority Carbon Management programme and has set a very ambitious target of reducing carbon emissions from council activity by 50 per cent over 5 years. The councils has also committed, through its Local Area Agreement to achieve a level 4 in NI 118: Planning to Adapt to Climate Change, the highest possible level and the county also hosted a recent LCCC pilot to be undertaken by the Berwick Housing Trust.

LB Haringey has recently signed up to a carbon reduction target of 40 per cent by 2020, and are in the process of developing a plan to deliver this. Haringey are particularly interested in working with communities on behaviour change and household emissions. They have also been designated a Mayoral Low Carbon Zone and were selected for phase 1 of the Department for Energy and Climate Change Low Carbon Communities Challenge.

UK Green Building Council set zero carbon challange to the industry

New guidelines have been set out by the UK Green Building Council this week in a bid to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2020.

In a speech to the industry body’s annual conference UK Green Building Council chief executive Paul King urged the industry to recognise the role it can play in delivering on UK targets for carbon cuts by 2020 .

Mr King said "Taking on this challenge would create thousands of new jobs, boosting the UK economy and supporting our recovery....It would benefit business and consumers by reducing their energy costs while improving the comfort of our homes and buildings. And it would help the UK government deliver on the commitments it has made and even go beyond those."

Under the Climate Change Act, the government is committed to reducing the nation's CO2 output by 34 per cent by 2020.

Revise 2016 Zero-Carbon Targets Says RICS

According to RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) if the UK Government is to achieve a significant reduction in carbon emissions from homes in England, then it needs to set a realistic target of building all new homes to emit 70% less carbon. It is not realistic to achieve zero carbon by 2016

It feels that in the current economic climate building zero carbon homes is currently too expensive and it would be unrealistic to expect all homes to achieve these standards.

Gillian Charlesworth, director of external affairs at RICS said: “We believe that, given the financial constraints caused by the downturn, the government should be aiming to maximise reductions in carbon emissions in a cost effective manner. RICS wants to see achievable solutions. Resources should be allocated to lower cost measures that will provide maximum insulation to homes. This would be a pragmatic solution towards reducing our carbon footprint, given the current recession.”

RICS still considers that the Government’s ultimate policy goal should still be to achieve a 100% reduction in emissions from new homes however any target set for 2016 must be kept under review by the Government.

In a recent submission to the government it was universally agreed that to achieve low Carbon homes the key focuse should be on the following:

• flexibility, looking at appropriate solutions for appropriate sites
• raising standards and encouraging innovation
• driving down costs through economies of scale
• land values
• changing attitudes to life style and maintenance of homes.